Conservatives propose halving foreign students’ work hours

Lithuanian conservatives have proposed cutting the number of hours foreign students can work during bachelor’s studies from 40 to 20 a week, LRT reported. The changes are intended to curb abuse of migration rules linked to studying, party leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas said.

The proposed amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners would apply the 20-hour limit to both employment contracts and self-employment. Kasčiūnas said self-employment was the arrangement most used by foreign students in Lithuania’s labour market.

The conservatives also want stricter rules for higher education institutions admitting students from outside the European Union. They propose removing the right of foreign master’s students to bring family members to Lithuania, while retaining it for students in medical residency and doctoral programmes.

Kasčiūnas said the government should identify which higher education institutions may recruit foreign students. He said the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport should review study outcomes, including whether students remain enrolled indefinitely and whether they receive grades for completed work. The government could then approve a list of institutions considered suitable to recruit students for fields where workers are needed, he said.

Kasčiūnas also backed President Gitanas Nausėda’s proposal for a temporary work-permit system under which some foreign workers would come to Lithuania for up to two years without bringing family members, then leave the country. Parliament has begun considering the proposal.

The proposed permits would apply to workers who do not intend to settle in Lithuania, such as long-haul drivers and construction workers. The system would speed up their arrival and application processing when businesses cannot find local workers. After working for up to two years, permit holders would have to leave Lithuania for at least six months. The restrictions would not apply to highly skilled workers from outside the European Union.

Kasčiūnas said Lithuania had 10,645 foreign students in September. The largest groups were from Pakistan, with 1,576 students; India, with 1,481; Bangladesh, with 1,112; Morocco, with 916; and Belarus, with 832.

Kasčiūnas urges Baltic states to keep US security dialogue open

Kasčiūnas also urged against overreacting to a US-initiated meeting in Poland that included only some NATO partners. He said the meeting was part of a “Bergen format” launched by the United States in early summer, and that no official criteria for invitations had been announced.

He said the Baltic states should find a way to maintain a channel with Washington for discussions on security and defence.